Hawks

By Sheldon Williams

April 19, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this

Sekou, thanks for not pointing out that I put up these stats the last two weeks playing 40 minutes a night against complete BUMS the other teams were trotting out trying to lose like we were. You and the Atlanta media are so soft, weak, and kind. Thanks to you, and thanks to that idiot Billy Knight for drafting me at #5!! Ha Ha, I will see you at the bank where I am cashing my big checks for being horrible! HA HA HA!

By St. Bernard

April 19, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this

Why not include D-League players stats for this last month? That’s the level of who Sheldon was playing against.

By Billy Knight

April 19, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this

Long live the Atlanta Spirit!! The best owners in the land (and the only ones foolish enough to employ me). I could have traded the #5 pick for Luther Head and the #8 pick - but instead I chose Sheldon at #5 over Brandon Roy, Randy Foye, you name ‘em. Ha Ha Ha. I love you Micheal Gearon Jr. Hee Hee.

By Reggie Theus

April 19, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this

Billy Knight should be fired. End of discussion. I have watched the Hawks since the early 1980’s and I am sick and tired of watching this man waste our draft picks! I can’t really fault Woodson because he has to work with the cruddy draft picks Knight throws at him. I would give Woody 1 more year. If nothing changes, he should be fired as well. However, the smartest move would be to get rid of both of them at the same time. If you have a top 3 pick, you gotta go for Oden. I am sick of the incompetency of their management. They are embarrassing the city of Atlanta and all long time Hawks fans. GET ODEN. No More Power Forwards. ODEN! O-D-E-N!

Good job this year Thrashers!

By Scott

April 19, 2007 4:37 PM | Link to this

Sekou, we know you have been in the hip pocked of Knight and Woodson all year long, but to write lately that Sheldon is NOT a bust just shows you have NO journalistic integrity. To the uninformed fan, they might believe what you write. We true Hawk fans know he’s is a very limited player who was and is a complete bust at #5 over guys like Roy, Foye, and so on. You should be ashamed of yourself and the AJC should reprimand you for sucking up to your boys Billy and Woody. Pathetic.

By Anakin Joe

April 19, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this

So what you guys are saying is that Tyrus Thomas, Adam Morrison, Shawne Williams, JJ Redick and all of the other Eastern Conference rookies weren’t playing against scrubs in April either. Let the young man take home his little award and be happy for him. Geez, we’re acting like a bunch of miserable, long-suffering, refuse-to-take-delight-in-anything fans.

By smartguy

April 19, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this

I can’t stand the Hawks with Billy and Woody in charge. This team isn’t that far from being pretty good. Please get rid of Woody.

By mavid

April 19, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this

Yeah, Shelden actually did play better (albeit against lower competition)

While I’m not the biggest Shelden fan (I HATED the pick, and still do), his numbers and play of late is great for us for 2 reasons:

1) I am more confident he can be a regular contributor, and can help us out as a strong bench player (i know i know, not what you go for with the 5th pick, but oh well).

2) He’s now made himself more of an asset, and can be a bargaining chip in a trade.

Also, though, one thing I have realized (and I think sekou would agree). Shelden’s season would have been a lot different had he gone to a more conducive team for his game. I’m taking a Utah, a San Antonio, or any other team that plays a more methodical and rugged half-court game. Put a solid rebounding/scoring 5 (a la Boozer) next to Shelden at the 4, and he’d look a lot better.

By Harry Hawk

April 19, 2007 5:41 PM | Link to this

Is it any coincidence that Shelden started playing better when he took that shoulder harness off? I still don’t know what injury he had that caused him to be wearing it, but it must have had something to do with his very mediocre season, right?

By St. Bernard

April 19, 2007 5:45 PM | Link to this

Can anyone tell me who the top FA pg’s will be next year. That includes Restricted FAs because we might have more luck with someone in a sign and trade. I think Mo Williams, Chauncey Billups, and Mike Bibby are on that list. If they are, and we really are willing to pay money, then we throw everything at them like we did Johnson. If we must give up Childress or Marvin then do it. We draft Oden or Hibbert at the center and we have an honest starting five. Let’s say the ping pong balls are kind and we get Oden and the Indy pick, trade that pick and Childress for one of those three and we’ve got something. I like Conley Jr. and I wouldn’t mind having him here, but we would be better served with a legitimate star/starter at pg.

By saywhat

April 19, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this

The shoulder thing is no coincidence, but neither is the fact that he put up those numbers when he started PLAYING. All year long, his numbers per 40 minutes were in the double-double range. Only difference in March-April was that he actually got to play enough to put those numbers up. Go back and check it out.

By Braves Fan 79

April 19, 2007 5:52 PM | Link to this

Sekou u were wrong for picking utah over Houston. mark my words…. Go Rockets!! Long live Mutombo!! and it still kills me u put overhyped lebron on the 1st all nba team over Mcgrady and Duncan….and Garnett. Why do you like lebron so much? he dosent have the outside shot mcgrady does, and he dosent have the post up game of Duncan or Garnett. And worst of all….hes NOT CLUTCH!!! Kobe, Mcgrady, Wade…best cluch players in the land hands down!! I dont even think lebrons on the 2nd tier when it comes to clutch. Id take Arenas, Michael Redd and Ray Allen and Nash before id want the ball in lebrons hands in the clutch.

By Matt

April 19, 2007 5:54 PM | Link to this

AJ,

I think you just encapsulated the whole problem with this blog. You, Mavid, and a couple other reasonable-minded folks are the only reason I keep coming back. When so-called “fans” can’t even be congratulatory when one of the players on the team they supposedly support wins ROTM, or any honor for that matter, you know that the fans have jumped the shark with their criticisms.

And to the person (I’m assuming it was just one guy, since he used “Sheldon” 3 times) who made the first 3 posts - learn to spell the brother’s name before you insult him.

Congratulations to The Landlord! You earned it this month, bro.

By infamouskrs

April 19, 2007 6:07 PM | Link to this

alittle of subject…but finished reading TMoore’s last entry about picking up West….and let me tell you, there are some sick people that contribute comments on here (REAL SICK)! people get so nasty…never understood that.

i for 1, have always tried to keep it all Hawks….F—-K the personal attacks on people outside of the franchise! we’ve got bigger fish to fry!

Sekou, keep doing your thing. i enjoy your work! oh yeah…and have fun finally covering some meaningful, exciting basketball!

By mavid

April 19, 2007 6:16 PM | Link to this

i love how moore failed to mention the most important thing he needed to:

the fact that West has already taken over for BK once, and he really screwed things up. I’m not a BK fan by any means, but it was the team he put together that was successful, and it was West that came in and made bad moves (although, if they get Oden or Durant, you can’t really say anything bad)

By Matt

April 19, 2007 6:20 PM | Link to this

I still say that you put Roy on basically ANY team other than Portland, and his numbers would drop quite significantly. Keep in mind that Portland does not have any serious scoring threats other than Roy at the 1, 2, or 3 spots (with apologies to my boy Jarret), so you know that he’s going to get a lot of touches and lot of shots.

I think that you put him on Atlanta, Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Minnesota, Seattle, or even Memphis (i.e. teams that have other guys at the 1-3 spots who are legit scorers), and he’d score closer to 10ppg than the 16-17 he had this year. He played for a team that had ONLY other player that averaged more than 12 ppg was hurt for much of the season.

It’s a less extreme version of what I call Greg Anthony syndrome. Greg Anthony was always a solid player, but his ppg jumped to double his career average in his first year with the Grizzlies - a team that didn’t have many guys who could drain a shot. Roy is better than Anthony, I think, but I also think a similar dynamic is at work here.

My view: The only guys in last year’s draft who have the potential to be true All-Stars during the course of their careers are the guys who went #1 and #2 - Bargnani and Aldridge (if his heart holds up), and I’d only put money on Bargnani.

Most of the rest of the guys in the top 10 - including Roy - will be solid contributors throughout their careers, but none of them have the star potential you want from a top 10 pick.

By Dan

April 19, 2007 6:27 PM | Link to this

Props to Sheldon for winning that award. I’ve ripped him enough this year that I have to give him credit when he does well. As someone mentioned above, however, he was not exactly playing against the All-Century team these last few games. He still has a long ways to go.

Good for him getting that award. I still do not understand where he fits with this team. Not convinced he is a good player. Time will tell, I guess. I still would rather have Foye.

By Matt

April 19, 2007 6:28 PM | Link to this

Last sentence of the 2nd paragraph should be:

He played for a team that had ONLY 1 other player that averaged more than 12 ppg was hurt for much of the 2nd half of the season, when Roy put together his 2 best months.

By Edo River

April 19, 2007 6:36 PM | Link to this

Dog gone it Mr. Smith another fine posting. Just like the homemade brew my father used to serve up!

By Samuel

April 19, 2007 7:23 PM | Link to this

I think Sheldon will be a respectable player in the NBA for a long time. Not worthy of a #5 pick but respectable. Sort of like a U Haslem.

I’m picking LA over PHX in an upset. I’m also picking Houston over Utah. Not really an upset to me. I agree that TMac has gotten the shaft this year as far as credit is concerned. He basically carried Houston on his back this year and there is not a more complete player in the league, when healthy. He’s on par with Kobe as far as an all around game. Spurs over Nuggets. Mavs over Golden State,Pistons over Magic. Cleveland over Wizards, Heat over Bulls, Nets over Raptors.

By Steve T

April 19, 2007 7:27 PM | Link to this

People this a very good team. The team is growing and people can not seem to see that. This team lost at least 20 games because they could not finish teams off. The hawks need to find some guys who can score when the game on the line.

Solo is the man they need to work with during the off-season. Josh Smith needs to take him under his wings. They both have the same game. Josh needs to get Solo to add 25 pounds to his frame.
He need Hakeem to help him work on his low post game. Next season, I think Solo should start at center. Zaza needs to be the back up. If we can get Solo to average 12 pts, 10 rebs, and 2 blks per game, we could win those 20 games we did not finish people off.

Next year starting line up should be Josh Smith - F Shelden Williams - PF Solo Jones - C Marvin Williams - SG JJ - PG

We will have Zaza, Chill, Salmin, Lue and a rookie big man on the bench.

By Steve T

April 19, 2007 7:33 PM | Link to this

People this a very good team. The team is growing and people can not seem to see that. This team lost at least 20 games because they could not finish teams off. The hawks need to find some guys who can score when the game on the line.

Solo is the man they need to work with during the off-season. Josh Smith needs to take him under his wings. They both have the same game. Josh needs to get Solo to add 25 pounds to his frame. He need Hakeem to help him work on his low post game. Next season, I think Solo should start at center. Zaza needs to be the back up. If we can get Solo to average 12 pts, 10 rebs, and 2 blks per game, we could win those 20 games we did not finish people off.

Next year starting line up should be Josh Smith - F Shelden Williams - PF Solo Jones - C Marvin Williams - SG JJ - PG

We will have Zaza, Chill, Salmin, Lue and a rookie big man on the bench.

By F A Skippy

April 19, 2007 8:04 PM | Link to this

This is off topic but Conley has entered the draft.I’m guessing he’s the most likely choice the birds would want who may still be there when we pick.Hawes is another posibility but Conley probably makes a better fit.

By F A Skippy

April 19, 2007 8:20 PM | Link to this

Steve J Smith is a kid,he’s not finished with Josh let alone mentoring Jones.An adult needs to work with both Josh and Jones.Why does everybody under value Zaza ? Jones may develop into a starter but Zaza can be an effective center if used properly,so why rush a green untested Jones into a starting roll ?

By GHook

April 19, 2007 8:29 PM | Link to this

Billy and Woody both need to go. It’s true that Billy has drafted some good raw talent, but it’s my understanding that drafting talent is only part of being a GM. You have to assemble a winning team by satisfying need areas. Knight has failed to do this over and over.

It’s no secret that the Hawks need a legitimate center and point guard. If any fan on this website can point that out, why can’t Billy see it? Speedy is a good point guard, he had 4 double-doubles this season in the limited games he played, but he was an obvious bad signing because of his injury history. The same goes for Lorenzen Wright, who’s getting $3,250,000 to average 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. Billy’s philosophy of taking the best athlete over the team’s needs has also hurt us, like the old argument of taking Marvin Williams over Chris Paul or Deron Williams. It’s true Marvin has turned out to be a great talent and has vastly improved, but we have too many good forwards and not enough good PG’s. Even that could have been forgiven if Knight had taken Marcus Williams in the ‘06 draft, but instead he drafted a good talent but still ANOTHER 6’ 9” forward in Shelden Williams. It also turns out that Shelden, while he finished the season strong, was not as NBA ready as Knight thought.

As for Woodson, he has one more year left on his contract which he should stick around for only because the Spirit shouldn’t just eat the money they would owe him. They need all the money they can get to resign Josh Smith, Marvin and/or Chill. I’ve seen too many terrible late game decisions by Woodson to give him any support. The Feb. 25th game against Phoenix where he inexplicably chooses to go with a small lineup with Josh Smith playing center in the final 2:00, at which point we give the Suns several crucial offensive rebounds in consecutive possessions and lose a winnable game. More recently in the Apr. 8th game against Philadelphia where Woodson’s final regulation play is for TLue to dribble the ball in traffic for 10 seconds, then throw up a prayer over 2 defenders for the game winner. The list goes on. Not to mention his half-court style which obviously does not work with the naturally raw, athletic style of the Hawks’ players.

I am really glad to see the AJC start calling for some changes in the Hawks’ front office. The Hawks have dropped off the radar in Atlanta and maybe their 30 win season is getting them some attention, but Knight and Woodson have gotten away with too much in Atlanta. I don’t know how every sports columnist at the AJC isn’t calling for the firing of a coach and GM with a 28% win percentage. Better late than never though.

I think we should give them one more year to get the ownership situation settled and get the Hawks a 35 win season to make this job attractive to some real personnel. After that, clean house.

By Steve T

April 19, 2007 9:25 PM | Link to this

“It’s no secret that the Hawks need a legitimate center and point guard. If any fan on this website can point that out, why can’t Billy see it”

I guess y’all forgot that Billy went after Eddy Curry. Now Curry would have helped this team get in the play-offs this season.

To the person who said that Josh can not mentor Solo, I want Smith to let Solo work out with him. People are asking for a center and why Billy did not draft a center, he did in Solo. Solo must be developed. Solo has just as much upside as Big Greg. People Greg is raw also. I doubt if he will come in and play great with out taking some lumps.

By mavid

April 19, 2007 9:33 PM | Link to this

“Solo has just as much upside as Big Greg.”

c’mon now man. thats just ridiculous

By michael m.

April 19, 2007 9:38 PM | Link to this

oden and conley to the hawks could actually come to fruition with the #1 and #11 picks. a little May luck could turn us into eastern conference champs within a year or two.

but can you imagine if that went down and then the spirit lost the team to belkin a few weeks later. they’d probably jump off a bridge.

By Matt

April 19, 2007 9:46 PM | Link to this

Again, not gonna spend too much time arguing with anyone who does armchair coaching. I make it my policy to defer to the decisions of coaches, since I know from experience that you never know what the coaches have seen in practice and what the guys tell them during games that we don’t know. I thought the decision in the Phoenix game was odd as well, but unconventional approaches like that have worked before. I remember how the Blazers got their 2 wins against the Bulls back in the ‘92 Finals largely by using a small lineup that allowed them to keep pace with the Bulls, even though it cost them on the glass.

I thought it was insane at the time, but it worked. Rick Adelman knew something that I didn’t, and I’ve found that’s often the case with coaches

And as for drafting for need…my view is that you only should do that once it’s clear that you’re all set in your other positions. It wasn’t clear at ALL after the 04-05 season that Childress and Smith would ultimately be players we could build around - and I think it’s turned out that neither of them are. Although both have potential as second-tier stars, neither are franchise players. So Knight kept looking to find a franchise player, and got 2 more guys that seemed most likely to be that kind of player - Marvin was the consensus best talent in the draft, and JJ was the best all-around player on the market that summer.

Incidentally, I do NOT think Chris Paul or Deron Williams are franchise players in the sense that they’re the kind of guys you can build around. There have only been 4 such point guards in the past 2 decades in my opinion - Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash (a case could maybe be made for Gary Payton as well, but I’d argue against that). Point guards can rarely be that kind of player simply because the point guard can’t be looking to score all the time - he needs people to pass to. That’s why even John Stockton - the greatest point guard in the history of the game, in my opinion - was not a franchise player. Karl Malone played that role on the Jazz.

I think that JJ is a franchise player - the Hawks’ first since Nique. That wasn’t clear until this year. So NOW is the time to draft/sign/trade for need. To draft for need in 2005 - when the Hawks were certainly not just 1 player away from making the playoffs - would have been premature.

By Matt

April 19, 2007 9:49 PM | Link to this

I think Solo’s ceiling is a slightly stronger and more athletic version of Marcus Camby - a potential All-Star.

I think Oden’s ceiling is that of David Robinson or maybe even Shaq - surefire Hall-of-Famers.

Not quite the same…

By curious

April 19, 2007 9:56 PM | Link to this

When is someone going to expose this Matt guy for his asinine comments. Brandon Roy wouldn’t score over 10 ppg on the Hawks. Brandon Roy would be the third best player on the Hawks and is way better on the off. end than Chill. Other than JJ what is all the scoring you are talking about in the backcourt. First, you were a D1 coach and when you were called on it. You didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Then you made those dumb comments about Camby. Now, Roy only scores because Zach was hurt. Roy has more complete stats as a rookie then everyone in the Hawks backcourt except JJ. If you are going to act like you are smarter than everyone please you facts to back it up.

By michael m.

April 19, 2007 9:57 PM | Link to this

josh smith is most definitely someone you CAN build around. you’re crazy to think anything but.

and congrats to shelden on picking up the award. he could average 12 and 10 in 28 minutes a night, in my opinion. it takes a second even for 4 year players to adapt to the league and his inconsistent play was a combination of not always giving the necessary effort during the middle of the year (his disillusioned period), the shoulder injury, and woody not always giving him the minutes needed to continue his growth. wouldn’t shock me to see him starting at the 5 some for us in the future. although it’s my hope that oden comes to town and renders that point moot.

and chris paul is most definitely a franchise player. trust.

By curious

April 19, 2007 10:16 PM | Link to this

Matt- You name four franchise point guards in your opinion. Then you say John Stockton was not a franchise pg. But he is the best pg ever. Do you even read the nonsense that you write? CP, Deron Williams and Brandon Roy are better al-around players than Marvin right now. I like Marvin but him being worthy of the #2 pick in the draft right now is not the case. He was always going to be 1 or 2 coming out that year so any GM saying different now is lying. There were people here saying the Hawks should draft a pg but Bogut & Marvin were always the first two picks. In hindsight picks3,4,5 have been better players than Bogut and Marvin. That is not a slight on those two. It the facts check the stats.

By Chris D'

April 19, 2007 10:31 PM | Link to this

Wow what a great year. Two great bookends to the season “Marvelous” Marvin Williams picks up rookie league player accolades to start off the season and Sheldon gets Rook of the month to finish the year. The only way it could get any better next year is if Salim wins the three point shooting contest at the all-star game and we win 30+ games.
Go Hawks…keep the thrills coming.

By ray

April 19, 2007 11:37 PM | Link to this

It would seem that anything done on this blog is “armchair.” We’re all a bundle of opinions. That would be what the blog is for. The only pro here is Sekou. A professional journalist. And since he’s not a coach, would his opinions be worthless as well? I mean, I know he’s here to report the facts, but come on. The man has his opinions too.

I take that back, Samuel is a coach. That definitely qualifies him as an active professional in this sport, even if it’s not at the NBA level.

But really, if not to offer opinions, then what are we here for? Huh? Why is this so hard to understand. Every job done in this country is subject to someone’s criticisms/critiques. And this is a setting for one such topic.

By ray

April 19, 2007 11:46 PM | Link to this

Steve T, I agree that the guys on this team are growing. But it really feels like they’re growing individually. Even JJ said that the chemistry wasn’t there. Which simply means: the team itself is not growing. And that’s a shame.

I can’t help feeling like you’re reaching here. Solomon Jones can barely hang with a solid power forward. He has the energy, the hops, and definitely the heart, but he does not have the beef. So why would you suggest he play at center? Yes, I can already hear the comparisons of him and Marcus Camby. Camby is stronger than Jones, and a veteran of the game. Jones still has much to learn and needs to get a LOT stronger. I love the guy, honestly.

It begins with Jones, though. He has to commit himself to the weight room. He needs to work with a veteran of the league. Maybe a guy like Hakeem the Dream ( a good suggestion on your part) who’s retired. He can’t expect the organization to provide him with that. He must go and seek help himself. That takes initiative, which I hope he has. Dude definitely isn’t afraid to mix it up out there but he lacks the muscule and skill to do so night in and night out. He can acquire both over the summer. Build a firm foundation on his natural physical talents and add to it. I have high hopes for the guy. But really…it’s up to him.

One thing I definitely have to disagree with is putting Jones up under JSmoove’s wing. No way. This guy is still growing (long way to go too) on his own and has issues to attend to himself. He’s made terrific strides, but he has his work cut out this summer as well.

By ray

April 20, 2007 12:02 AM | Link to this

Matt, personally I don’t think anyone drafts a point guard to be a franchise player. Not a guy that’s KNOWN to be a pg, as in he can’t play any other position. So I agree, Chris Paul and Deron Williams aren’t “franchise” players according to whatever definition.

But that’s just it. Magic Johnson had the size and skill set to play pg, sg, and sf. Kidd could probably play both guard spots when healthy, but he’s a natural point. Who knew ahead of time that a fella named Nash from freakin’ Santa Clara was going to be a two-time MVP? Oh, they knew he was going to be a player, but look who he played behind for awhile: Kidd. Again, I don’t think anybody drafts pure point guards as franchise players. I think they draft them to make a huge difference.

These guys are floor generals. They’re supposed to be pretty much extensions of the coach: on-floor coaches. They run the offense and are the first point of attack on defense (or should be anyway). They are drafted on their potential to run the team and make their teammates better. To help the superstars be the superstars. To help the franchise players be the franchise players. You say Malone was the franchise guy and he was. But would he have been without Stockton? Stockton was a threat on offense. Enough of a threat that they couldn’t just collapse on Malone and smother him. Not to mention he ran the pick-n-roll with Malone to perfection. Malone would have been great, no doubt. But much has to be credited to Stockton’s ability to get him the ball at all the right times. It’s not like Malone brought the ball up the court himself and got into just the right situations.

Right now, that’s what CP is doing for David West. That’s what Deron is doing for Boozer and Okur. That’s what either one (or Rondo, Marcus Williams, etc, etc) could be doing for JJ and JSmoove. Instead, JJ spent much of the time bringing the ball up and trying to be the floor general instead of the franchise player. I for one was never looking for a pg to be a franchise savior. I was looking for one to help the direction and identity of the team. The Robin for the Batman we already had. Even Batman needs help. For anybody “reasonable” as you like to say, that should make plenty of sense.

As for Shelden, I didn’t even know he earned that award. Good for him. Let’s see that more than sporadically. But you can’t ignore the question: Why is he unable to gain more minutes when it counts? He played well in the beginning of the season and at the very end. In between…not much to look at. Why was he unable to gain a starting spot or at least heavy rotation minutes? Is it him or the coach? Couldn’t be anything else, so what’s the answer? It’s just a question, not an accusation.

By ray

April 20, 2007 12:10 AM | Link to this

Michael M,

I have to agree on your assessment of Shelden’s performance this season. Makes more sense to me than most anything else. And JSmoove has showed pretty much most of the season that he can fill the stat sheet quite well against nearly the entire league. There’s not one regular stat area that he did not have significant contribution to. The only way you don’t partially build around a guy like that is if you trade him. Is he the #1 option? No, that spot goes to JJ. But he’s a dangerous #2 option.

A solid pg that brings his own offensive threat makes JJ and JSmoove that much more dangerous. Really. Lue was able to do it for a while and I love that guy. He’s no scrub. But he’s still a sub. A super sub.

By Matt

April 20, 2007 12:25 AM | Link to this

What more do you want me to say about being a D1 coach? I said I was an assistant at a minor D1 school. I said that I did it for a couple years before I went onto become an attorney. I didn’t stop talking about it because i was afraid to talk about it. I stopped talking about it because there’s nothing else that I could say that wouldn’t reveal my identity, since I’m the only coach in my school’s recent history named Matt. Believe me or not, it’s up to you.

There’s no inconsistency at all in what I said. The problem is that i’m not using “franchise player” in a much narrower sense than most people use it. I think John Stockton is the greatest point guard of all time. But my view is that you don’t build a team around your point guard, because the biggest role of the point guard is inherently to be the catalyst of the offense, which automatically delegates him to a supporting role.

I think John Stockton filled that role perfectly. He was a pass-first point guard who could thread a needle with his dishes, score when he needed to (which wasn’t often, since he’d usually create a play for one of his teammates), and who could shut down his opponent on defense. But John Stockton was not the kind of player who could ever be the biggest scoring threat on a title-contending team. Stockton needed someone to pass to in order to be at his most effective.

John Stockton performed the role of a point guard better than anyone in history. Ergo I consider him the greatest point guard of all time. There were several other players who played point guard and who were, in my view, guys that you built the offense around more. Guys who could create their own shots and draw defenders better than Stockton could. Gary Payton is the prime example of this - he played like a combo point guard/2-guard. Since he was a better scorer than Stockton, he was more of the kind of player you built your offense around. But Stockton was better at being a true point guard.

Anyway, paternity leave ends for me in a few days anyway, so you won’t have to put up with my “asinine” comments much longer.

By Matt

April 20, 2007 1:01 AM | Link to this

Ray,

I agree with you on almost everything you said. You explained my points in much simpler and clearer terms than I did (I’ve been in the legal world too long).

The only thing I’ll add is that I think it’s always VERY hard to tell which PGs will succeed in the NBA - or at least, which ones will succeed as PGs. For opposite ends of the spectrum, compare Marcus Banks (went #13) to Mo Williams (2nd rounder). 1s and 5s are the two hardest positions for scouts to judge, because those are the two positions that face the biggest changes when they transition from college to the NBA. That’s why you see so many guys who play the point in college really end up being 2-guards in the NBA (e.g. Iverson, Jason Terry).

By Mike

April 20, 2007 1:04 AM | Link to this

Sekou, your right about Sheldon, Sheldon was doom the first part of the season. Most forget people forget we had a rash of injuries, and Sheldon was basically tossed in the fire. The reason some of the bloggers have so much apathy towards the young players of the Hawks is because they get caught up in the hype of ESPN and NIKE commercials. These are guys that like players that put gaudy fantasy numbers. Sheldon wasn’t drafted to be a scorer. He was drafted to be a contributor, like the rest of the players. The thing that inspired him the most was probably watching his girl leading the Vols to a National Championship. Hard to watch your girl playing with heart than you are. You’d have to blind not to notice the steady improvement these young guys have made since they were drafted. I still say Marvin is going to make a bunch of these guys eat crow.

JJ is the franchise guy don’t get it twisted. This guy was the 5th leading scorer in the league playing for the Hawks. The scary thing is JJ got just as much up-side as the rest of these young players. It’s insane to expect these young guys to come in and take over the league. Give Sheldon some credit. These have proven they can make a contribution to the team. If BK can fill either the PG or Center position the Hawks should contend for a playoff spot next season. If he fills both, then look out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Sekou I’m with you. I’m looking forward to the playoff. I gotta piggyback on another blogger. I take the Lakers over Phoenix and Houston over Utah. No surprises in the East except for NJ over Toronto. Should be the same four teams from last year competing for the Championship again? Hard to pick between SA and Dallas. Shaq is my boy, but think Detroit will take the East this time around. I pick Dallas to win it all at the start of the season, and I’m going to stick with’em.

By ray

April 20, 2007 1:24 AM | Link to this

Matt, point taken. Those probably are the two hardest positions to judge unless you have the so-called “no brainer” types, and that’s usually at center. But even there things can go wrong. As for pgs, how do people explain a guy like D. Wade? Pg, Sg, which is he really? I guess he’s what I’d call a true combo guard. A true hybrid. Like Payton was in his hey-day. Running the team but able to score like crazy. Only Wade is an even more impressive scorer than Payton, I think. Funny, so many guys are called combo guards, but in the NBA the truth is soon found. There are far fewer actual combo guards in the NBA than in college. Seems like anyone in college that played both guard spots for even just one game is a “combo guard.”

By Matt

April 20, 2007 1:36 AM | Link to this

I think Wade and Arenas are both 2-guards with a lot of point guard qualities and talents - Wade being closer to a true combo guard than Arenas. I agree that it’s rare to find a true “combo guard” at the NBA level. I think Payton is the best example in recent years, though Wade seems to be moving in that direction as well (whereas Arenas seems to be drifting towards being more of a 2-guard). We shall see, I guess.

Another guy to keep an eye on is Monta Ellis on Golden State. He has the tools to be a combo guard. He just needs to get the mentality down as well.

By Rutuger

April 20, 2007 9:22 AM | Link to this

We tried pulling first rounders from Tobacco Road and they are both hugely disappointing.

Let’s start going after some proven talent, and who knows—maybe a few years from now we won’t even need to worry about the draft lottery!

By roan st

April 20, 2007 9:25 AM | Link to this

And the blind homer of the month award go’s to…. It’s a tie between matt and steve T. GEEZ. We have one guy trying to diminish the credibility of all the good players billy has passed on and the other claiming solomon jones is equal to greg oden. The reality is that this team is in big trouble if the perfect storm ( doc’s analogy) happens, no draft picks in the greatest draft in years. We will basically be the same imbalanced roster next season if those damn ping pong balls don’t turn out in our favor.

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this

is it really over? that pain that every hawks fan has to go through each year is comparable to hearing nails on a chalkboard. damn. damn! DAMN!

some people’s agendas are so laughable. some would like to see la beat phoenix so it would “validate” their opinion that steve nash isn’t mvp material. look i think kobe is the best player in the league. the best player doesnt’ always win mvp. has the big fella really only won 1???? how is that possible? as long as the mvp award is subjective it’ll continue being one of the most confusing awards. having said all that, minimizing what steve nash is worth to his team is downright silly. he’s the best pg in the nba today period. and he’s one of the top 5 players in the nba period. the rest is up for debate.

as for the direction of the hawks. i find it somewhat encouraging that the hawks were somehow able to manage to win 30 games while being plagued with major injuries throughout the year. this team isn’t in as bad shape as some would like to think. a couple of key free agent acquisitions and the playoffs aren’t that ludicrous of a goal for next year.

some would like to move jsmith. no freaking way. he’s from atlanta and has the upside to be a helluva player. it would be another in a long list of stupid moves by the hawks to trade jsmoove..

i’m hoping the hawks get at least the 13th pick. i think there will still be some really good players left at that point.

By Anakin Joe

April 20, 2007 11:01 AM | Link to this

Abe, here’s my one concern about Smith. If he cursed out his coach in his 3rd year, living in his hometown, with his father actively engaged in his life, then does this guy have any respect for authority? Most guys act up when they know that the disciplinarian is not around. In this case, he ended up meeting for lunch with both Woody and his father. Is his father an enabler, telling him that Woody is a poor coach and feeding his son visions of super stardom? When he voiced his criticism, were those his thoughts or did he repeat something that he heard from someone else (friend or father)? Sekou let us know there was in fact some bad blood between Smith and Zaza last season. Not a physical confrontation, but a yelling match. JJ suggested that some teammates play to the home crowd and forget their role, which player is from Atlanta? I just wonder if he is headed down a Rasheed-type of path (at best) or Artest (at worse). That’s what has be concerned. Is he emotionally mature enough (with father in tow and living/playing at home) to be a foundational player on this team?

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 11:27 AM | Link to this

aj: here’s my take on jsmith. he’s a hot head. which is not necessarily a bad thing if you have leaders on the team that can keep people in check. rasheed when on portland was a uncontrollable beast. move him to detroit with strong leadership in place and he’s been a damn good teammate and his antics have been somewhat curbed. see scottie pippen who never made a peep while with jordan but exit jordan and there was that playoff fiasco with pippen refusing to leave the bench (very similar situation to jsmiths)

bottom line there is no excuse for what jsmith did. having said that, these occurrences are not that out of the ordinary when a certain player feels like he’s the best and the coach doesnt’ draw a play for him at the end of the game. lets make no qualms about it, jsmith has been the best hawks player since jj got injured. he has “carried” (albeit not very far) the team. all i’m saying is woody still treats him like a rookie and thats woody’s fault who obviously shows favoritsm to his veterans.

as for his yelling problems with teammates. this is a non issue. its the nba they are competitors and most teams get into confrontations within their own team. jordon got into a few fisticuffs with his own teammates. at least it shows me he cares.

jsmith is growing as a player and as a person. he’s still young and hotheaded. think back to when you were 20, 21. he hasn’t been getting into off the court trouble and thats good enough for me.

By curious

April 20, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this

When is someone going to call JJ for not being a leader. Sekou said there is no leadership on this team. That comment is directed at JJ and Tlue. Tlue is Woody’s pet and not liked by the young guys. JJ is a max player he should not get a pass for not being a leader. There are plenty of issues in the Hawks locker room between asst. coaches and Woody and between players. Do you really think JS is the only person to tell Zaza to try to defend or stop touch fouling for three pt plays? Woody as heard by other on this blog called Zaza a btch and a pssy to his face at a home game. You think that type of coaching fosters a positive environment.

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 11:55 AM | Link to this

i think it said it all the other day when it was april fools and woody didn’t even know what day of the week it was. some might take it as he’s too engrossed in his work and that its a positive thing. for me it just confirmed my conviction that this man is overwhelmed. as most people on this blog knows he spends the majority of each and ever game with an annoying confused/puzzled look on his face. the man can’t coach, he’s not in control, he’s not a great motivator, and he holds grudges. get rid of the man. NOW!

By Anakin Joe

April 20, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Abe, you’re right, except that I personally was usually less of a hot-head around my father. He had a certain way with a belt that made me respect his authority, even when I was 15, 18, 21 (and 30). And while Smith was clearly the best player without JJ, he had a miserable game that night and had already blown one late possession, when he shot a 20 footer over the much smaller Andre Miller. Lue was hot that game and was the Hawks’ best player (for that game). I subscribe to the “give the ball to the hot player” theory, whether that guy is the best player or not. It certainly was not unreasonable for Woody to call the play for the hot player in that circumstance. And if Smith is ever the “hot guy” with JJ on the floor, he would want to have the last shot in that game.

By Anakin Joe

April 20, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

curious, maybe Smith was teling Zaza to “man-up” or maybe Zaza was telling Smith to stop shooting 25 footers or to not commit 5 turnovers in the game. I don’t know what the fight was about. And I don’t know who was right. But if it were Smith and Zaza, I’d have to say the odds were 50/50 that both were wrong. Because both seem very prone to be both good and bad in the same game. Smith’s good is better than Zaza’s good, but Smith’s bad also seems worse than Zaza’s bad.

By David

April 20, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

Sekou, I’m a frequent reader of your blog though I don’t chime in as often here as I do on the Braves blog. I have a straightforward question to ask you that I have never seen you fully explain in the past. If you have and this requires regurgitation on your point, I sincerely apologize.

Back when we made the Joe Johnson trade, was the onus on us to give away a pair of first round picks? I am not a Steve Belkin fan at all (in fact, I’d like to give him a hydrochloric acid enema), but this was one issue where he always struck me as right. I never fully understood why we didn’t simply wait out the Suns to see if their cap-strapped situation would force them to be less demanding about Johnson. It seemed to go from we signed JJ to we had to give up a ton for him in a very short period.

What were your thoughts on the matter then and what are your thoughts now?

Thanks in advance. I have a great deal of respect for your insights into the NBA. It’s unfortunate that you are stuck covering a team that has been rendered all but irrelevant.

By Mr. Food

April 20, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

I think it’s INDESCRIBABLY DELICIOUS the way some of the self-proclaimed geniuses defend J-Stoop … I meant, Josh Smith.

To hear the self-proclaimed geniuses tell it, J-Stoop … I meant, Josh Smith … is a FRANCHISE player who MUST be coddled and pampered, or else the franchise will fall apart and become one of the dregs of the NBA.

Oops! Too late!

In the meantime, will someone PLEASE let the self-proclaimd geniuses in on a little secret:

J-Stoop … I meant, Josh Smith … is NOTHING more than a SLIGHTLY above-average player on a MISERABLE team.

In other words, players like J-Stoop … I meant, Josh Smith … are a dime a dozen in the NBA.

Tata!

By mavid

April 20, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this

please, conley at the Indy pick. That’s all I ask. If he isnt going to be available, trade up

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

since i dont’ see anyone else talking about not trading jsmith other than myself i guess mr. food is referring to me when he talks about this self proclaimed genius. this is confusing me because all i wrote about jsmith in my original entry was this.

some would like to move jsmith. no freaking way. he’s from atlanta and has the upside to be a helluva player. it would be another in a long list of stupid moves by the hawks to trade jsmoove..

i dont’ see how that translates into half of what you were screaming about.

either you are a first time blogger in which case i welcome you to the blog of agony or a regular with a different handle, in which case you are an annoying piece of trash. either way it’s all opinions and i never proclaimed to be a genius.

i’m assuming i must’ve hit some people under the belt with that whole nash tirade. heh

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this

oh yes back to the blog topic. sheldon might have been playing against all stars, but he still got those stats against nba players which still says something. he might never live up to being the 5th pick. even though we can all see it was an extremely weak draft. but he has shown over the past month that he has the potential to be a solid nba contributor. besides its not his fault that he was the 5th pick or that he’s coached by the worst head coach in the nba. he put up some solid numbers and i’m looking forward to seeing what he’s capable of next year. i’ve said all along he’s another hendu. not great but definitely not as bad as some of you are making him out to be.

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this

don’t get me wrong though i still hate the pick.

By Anakin Joe

April 20, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this

David, there are a lot of opinions as to whether or not Phoenix would have matched. And the “extra” pick that Belkin objected to trading was last year’s pick that Phoenix dealt to Boston and ultimately became Rajon Rondo. So Belkin agreed to trade this year’s lottery protected pick (according to several articles & blogs). I know that I read an article where Bryan Colangelo did say that he was directed to match the Hawks offer sheet for JJ. At the same time, Phoenix has traded away a few 1st round picks to avoid additional salary the last few years. There is even speculation that Phoenix may dump either Marion or Amare this summer if they don’t win the title due to salary cap issues next season.

But according to sources, Belkin was only concerned about last year’s pick and was willing to trade the top 3 protected ‘07 draft choice. That suggests Belkin was also concerned that Phoenix would match the offer sheet, or seemingly, he would have never approved any trade agreement.

By doc

April 20, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this

folks this team has promise; that is all. however as a father i want something more for my daughter than a guy with potential.

aj, just dont get the analogy to sheed or artest though i too mentioned it as a possible down side for josh. what i dont see is the anger, hostility and overt disregard for others that plagued sheed early and overwhelms artest still, ergo recent literal battle on the domestic scene. honests’s reminder of the pippen episode should allow us pause to reflect that maybe it can have some positives to it. i hope he truy has learned his lessons, he seems to want to turn the page … time will tell.

aj, it has been amazing to me how folks assume against all info in the media that can be gotten, even from one of the participant’s mouth and still hold fast to their opinions as though it were fact instead of the pure illusion they created. good point that the protected pick wasnt the throw in and no matter what, we were still destined to be giving up something in return to get a star like jj; unless some think that diaw thrown in there was an even trade.

now is the time for diaw to step up. it will be intersting how phil goes after the suns, will he use beef or not?

matt congrats on the youngin, the greatest blessing in anyone’s life. savor it, but you dont have to run off from the liar’s table just because you are back at work …right honest?

speakin of the our ninja friend did you get them straight in vegas as to who their daddy was dude?

By Anakin Joe

April 20, 2007 5:07 PM | Link to this

Sorry, I can’t figure out how to make the link thing work, but it looks like Indy won the tie-breaker and has the 11th slot going into the lottery.

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2008

Even if we send a pick to Phoenix, I’m feeling very good about the Indy pick being there for us at #11. And we should be able to get something of considerable value (and hopefully need) at #11.

By honest_abe

April 20, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this

good doc, i got smacked around pretty good. good enough to make me miss work for a week due to, ahem illness… having said that, can’t wait to get back as i am a degenerate gambler…heh

oh yes i was going to bet on the hawks vs bucks game and was going to put on the home team but that game had no line and was called off. even the gambling experts can’t put a handle on this team.

By The Flash

April 20, 2007 5:32 PM | Link to this

While I don’t get to see enough, what I have seen tells me that Woodson’s offensive concepts, if he has any, do not include getting a guy like Sheldon the kind and number of touches that he needs to be effective.

Woodson wanted Sheldon to play bobby-ball defense, aka, be some kind of enforcer. That ain’t basketball. All that bobby-ball got the Hawks were too many injuries. Period.

Sheldon can score the ball with catches in the paint, and he can hold position there among the trees. Good for Sheldon for eschewing the hatchetman role.

Doc, I keep having to remind you, once you buy the pot by making an offer no one can match, adding no 1s to the mix was betting against yourself. In this case, it was betting on Belkin nixing the deal, precipitating a confrontation that required Stern’s intervention, and then counting on Stern to protect THE COLLANGELO’S INTERESTS and side with you, the Spirit.

The losers, the Hawks and Joe the fan. That’s the list.

BTW, count how many International players are playing for Toronto. They ain’t doing bad. And, I bet Diaw would fit right in there and be better than he currently is in Phoenix. If the Hawks had had a forward-looking coach who grasped where the game is going and knew how to go there, Diaw would still be here, as would both draft picks.

Then, Diaw, JJ, ZaZa, all with soccer ball backgrounds (JJ got his in PHoenix), MW a runner from Roy-ball world, and a point with the first 1 BK gave away, and we’re off to the races.

This matching business just will not fly. You tell me where JJ would be playing and for how many minutes for all the money he is getting if he was with Phoenix. And, if they were concerned about “matching,” they could have sweatened the monetary offer up front. Oops, I promised not to go there, didn’t I? Won’t happen again.

By doc

April 20, 2007 6:23 PM | Link to this

flash talking money, would you pay 2-3 mil a year more for jj or the 8 mil they are paying for diaw? that is the only difference in cap space taken. i’d spend my money on jj, still think they were ready to match after they threw money at diaw. that was not a good investment thus far. jj was for the hawks, with him there may be hope. without, well we’d be about where the celts are and doing the same thing hoping for the ball to roll our way. from that standpoint nothing has changed except the hawks have a bird in the hand instead of two in the bush.

agree sheldon was mismanaged, the head coach has a bit of a control issue i guess. i think if the new guy comes in he had better be a bit more flexible to get more out of his players … tough love doesnt work for everybody, in fact it only works for the kind of guys the hawks dont have, miscreants. i think the coach manufactures it except for salim and he probably haas been on too tight a leash. never too late for woody to change his approach a bit broaden it. btw, how did a larry brown guy get to the point he cant be flexible to the situation flash?

By mavid

April 20, 2007 6:42 PM | Link to this

AJ,

Thanks for the link.

Now, so long as Indy doesn’t win the lottery (7 in 1000 chance), we will get the 11th pick (the AL trade ended up good as we could have possibly hoped).

If we somehow get in the top 3, and have a top 3 pick and the 11th, things will truly looking up for us (Oden and Conley would be ridiculous… Come to think of it, if we get that 1st pick, Conley might go the route of making SURE he gets picked by us through various mechanisms… the two have played together for a long time, and would be pretty sweet together in the NBA. just saying)

I’ll post this closer to the lottery date, but fellas, enjoy this more tight-knit blog now, cause if we get the 1st or 2nd pick, the Hawks are gonna be huge for a long time to come, and this will turn into something like the Falcons blog (with all its ridiculousness)

But, we prolly won’t get in the top 3 (38% chance). A fan can dream though…

By michael m.

April 20, 2007 6:44 PM | Link to this

conley at 11 if possible, though we might have to use a piece to jump sacramento at 10 since they are looking to move beyond the bibby era.

oden, durant, noah, horford, brewer, jianlian, j. wright, green, hibbert, conley, hawes are 11 definite lottery picks. brandan wright is another top 5 pick who has yet to decide. add him and acie law makes 13.

we pick at 11 so i feel good about our odds of getting conley, hibbert, law or hawes.

36% chance of keeping our top 3 protected pick. if oden and durant were gone, i would even pick conley at the 3 spot.

all those who thought the harrington trade would garner us nothing were most certainly wrong. lucky for all of us in this case because if we do lose our own pick but manage to keep the indy pick at #11, we won’t have as bad a taste in our collective mouths.

here’s hoping oden and conley get to continue their high school and college careers playing together in the pros with our atlanta hawks. add them to jj, marvin and smoove on the perimeter… i see chemistry… and i see an nba title banner hoisted up at phillips arena in the not too distant future.

By michael m.

April 20, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this

i just played the espn lotto generator and what came up?atl picking oden at #2 behind the milwaukee bucks grabbing durant at #1, and with the #11 pick the hawks get mike conley. IT COULD HAPPEN!

By mavid

April 20, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this

haha, me and mike m are both dreamin

By doc

April 20, 2007 7:32 PM | Link to this

yeah, you guys are sick ….. in a good way.

keep up the positive vibes, can only help.

By michael m.

April 20, 2007 7:49 PM | Link to this

yes, all true hawk fans must help old ladies cross the street between now and may 22nd.

By Orlando Rivera

April 20, 2007 8:05 PM | Link to this

I hope they get the 4th and Indiana gets the 10th pick so the Hawks can be left out in the cold come draft time. Unless they are drafting first, there’s not a player in this draft that can help this team.

Even if they do draft Oden Woodson would have no idea how to use him. The Atlanta Spirit issue won’t be resolved anytime soon because the NBA doesn’t see dollar signs in Atlanta and they will allow another year of this incompetence. Bring back Babcock and Bob Weiss, at least they made the playoffs.

Speaking of which, props to Golden State for making the playoffs. For the first time since ‘94 Atlanta will be talked about for something other than “why didn’t they draft Chris Paul?”. Atlanta will now be talked about as the team with the league’s longest playoff drought! If that’s not enough to go drinking every night I don’t know what is.

By mavid

April 20, 2007 8:21 PM | Link to this

“Unless they are drafting first, there’s not a player in this draft that can help this team.”

Umm. Durant, Conley, Hibbert, Horford, Law, the 7-foot Chinese dude, Hawes just to name a few (hell maybe even Noah, but i doubt it)

By F A Skippy

April 20, 2007 8:49 PM | Link to this

I like Oden but something nobody talks about is his health.He’s 19 and looks 35 but the real concern is his legs and hips.One leg is shorter than the other and it’s obvious watching him run that he’s not balanced.I’ve seen too many 7’ guys with skeletal problems whether it be foot,ankle,knee,hip,etc start breaking down at a young age not to consider how long a player with an inherent condition will be able to play at the highest level.Even without these concerns to say he’s in Shaq’s or Robinson’s class is a leap of faith,he’s never been a big scorer on any level.That’s not to say I don’t like him he will be a game changer on defense and a good low post scorer.

By jp

April 20, 2007 9:48 PM | Link to this

Thats exactly what atlanta needs. A guy who can block shots and rebound so smoove doesn’t have too. IF Oden can come in and average only 14 points but 10 rebs and 3 blocks, he will have done his job. IF he is able to do that, ATL will be in the playoffs next year. They have the scoring ability with JJ, smoove, marvin and lue/Anthony Johnson. THey just need somebody down low to help them out on defense. This team is still two years away from a playoff spot without oden though and maybe even 3.

By curious

April 20, 2007 10:20 PM | Link to this

F.A. Skippy Explain to me how you can tell one of Oden’s legs is shorter than the other. I am not trying to be funny. Is it his stride or what are the signs to tell that. I agree with your point about his offense. He will be able to block shot because he is athletic but he also is not a physical player. If you remember was not effective against Hibbert. Most of those points he scored in that game was when Hibbert was in foul trouble.

By ray

April 20, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this

Here’s another possible spin on Josh Smith’s actions that have made such hot blog debate. Understand that I’m not defending his actions/words/decisions before you flame me. I’m merely seeking some understanding and offering a possibility. With JJ out, all the team and coaches could talk about was somebody else stepping up while he was gone. Smoove probably felt like he was one of the guys who could do this and was attemtpting to do so. However, in the process he made some bad decisions, like that 20 foot jumpshot over a much smaller defender. Perhaps what he said and did was an extension of his attempts to “take over” and step up, and his frustration at the results. You can’t ignore the fact that he did the wrong thing. But you can be open to the possibility that he was trying to “be the man” and just went about it the wrong way. Instead of assuming that he was being just a selfish jerk.

And consider this: have not most of Woody’s plays (who else can you blame here) been to give it to Joe, almost regardless of the situation the defense has presented, and see if he can get it done? Love JJ, and love to see him do his thing but I notice when he was running play after play (sometimes maybe the ball should have gone elsewhere) nobody was getting on his case about trying to do too much. Woody certainly didn’t seem to. I blame Woody for it, too. So with JJ gone, maybe Josh (who’s decison making and skill set for that job is not as good as JJ’s) tries to do the same thing and makes the wrong move…and so many want to stomp on him. Well, he was wrong. And I’m not saying that’s actually what happened, but just decided to throw that out there.

Another thing. Funny how many of us gripe about JJ bearing the brunt of the offensive burden, yet screech about him not being a leader. If anything, he was overloaded. It’s just not that simple. And the question that begs to be asked: is it JJ’s fault that he doesn’t/didn’t have confidence in his teammates or is it Woody’s influence at fault? Both? JJ gets the dubious credit for not having confidence in them, but Woody’s drawing up the plays…all or mostly for JJ. And don’t tell me JJ was out there running things his own way contrary to Woody’s direction. Oh no, that ain’t the way it was at all.

By ray

April 20, 2007 11:29 PM | Link to this

Okay, some of y’all are just killin’ me with this draft stuff. Oden with one leg longer than another??!! I’m so sorry because I truly, truly don’t mean to be insulting. But I laughed so damn hard when I read that. Hawks fans are truly a desperate lot. How did you come up with that sH!t, F A Skippy? If it’s true, then I’ll owe you an apology. If it’s not, then I’m still laughing! Sorry dude, it’s just of all the things I could have read here, that is one I didn’t not expect to see…my face hurts man, don’t do stuff like that. Glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read it. And dude does look old as hell too! Now my stomach hurts too….

I can’t even talk draft stuff right now, gives me the bubble guts just thinking about it. Know why? Because I’m scared we won’t get a freakin’ draft pick and on top of that, I still get the heebie jeebies just thinking about Billy making the pick(s). Somebody give me a reason to feel better about it, please..

By F A Skippy

April 20, 2007 11:53 PM | Link to this

Ray it’s true about Oden’s leg and if you had the sense the good lord gave a goat you wouldn’t jump to some desperate fan bs conclusion.Truth is BB isn’t close to my favorite sport and the Hawks aren’t my favorite team the UNC heals are.The thing is Ray if a team gives Oden what will amount to a part ownership they’d better hope management has more common sense than you show.

By F A Skippy

April 21, 2007 12:05 AM | Link to this

curious I know because everybody who knows what’s going on knows.I’m sorry guys but it’s not a secret, Oden wears special shoes to even them out,it’s not just a little there’s over two inchs difference between the two.As far as the effect on his hips,that’s a common problem along with back,knee,etc resulting from the imbalance.If you guys want’a snicker like school kids have at it but I know what I’m writing about.Ray you’re not man enough to apologize.

By TT

April 21, 2007 1:15 AM | Link to this

Poor Hawk fans,

The only thing worse for you than watching Knight blow a top five pick will be watching what a real organization can do with it. Which is what will happen when you don’t move into the top five and Phoenix gets your pick.

I do thank you however paying JJ as much as you have so he could be the “quiet” man, I can see how his leadership has helped groom all your young talent.

A man with the vision to see that Phoenix was going nowhere, and that hanging near his crew was the best move for him. Kudos!

We may hold a grudge for him spurning us but in the end (and I never thought I would say this) but I am glad we let him walk (for Diaw and your pick anyway)!

Can you believe you have been this bad since Nique oved on? Oh please bring back Bob Weiss!!

Se you at the draft!

By David

April 21, 2007 1:46 AM | Link to this

Se you at the draft!

Thanks for the karmic boost!

By Steve T

April 21, 2007 2:06 AM | Link to this

Ray, it is true about the leg thing. Have you ever wondered why he falls so much. This is one reason I am not as high on him as most people. In the NBA, he will have to play 82 games. This will be hard on him.

I hope the Hawks get the second or third pick because I want to get a player that will be around 10 - 15 years. I like the big man from Georgetown. I think he will be around a lot longer.

By Matt

April 21, 2007 3:08 AM | Link to this

Yo Orlando,

There is no possible way that Indiana’s pick could end up at #10. The only way a team can move up from it’s position in the draft lottery is if they net a top 3 pick.

So go crawl back into your own a**.

By Matt

April 21, 2007 3:28 AM | Link to this

By the way, if you believe in this sort of thing, Atlanta is definitely ‘due’ to land the #1 pick. We’ve never gotten one in the lottery era (which started in ‘85). Far as I know, the only times we’ve even landed in the top 3 have been Marvin at #2 and Pau Gasol at #3.

By Mike

April 21, 2007 4:53 AM | Link to this

Now this is what I’m talking about, these are the blogs I miss. These are the blogs I had to read to get my day started. I use to crack my side laughing reading these blogs while I was at work. Abe it’s true one of Oden legs is longer than the other. But if this ain’t the closest thing to Jabar or Russell I’ll eat crow. If we get’em, no more empty seats at Phillip, the buzz will be back. Enough dreaming. I’ll take a PG or Center. I’m with everyone on the kid Conley, I love his game. I think if we get either guy the basketball gods will have granted our wish.

I think everyone is getting carried away with JSmoove. Yes he’s a hot head, that’s because he’s a competitor. While Zaza and LWright and the rest of the team stand around watching guys dunk. JS will run from half court just to contest a jump shot. I think the other blogger was right. JSmoove feels he’s the number 2 option on the team. That’s why he flared up with AJ. But AJ was the first person to confront in the game. Once JJ when down he felt he had to take up the slack. It’s true he takes terrible shots during the game, but at lease he makes up for on defense. Nobody takes worst shots than TLue. How many games have we seen the momentum swing on two of TLue bone head plays? How many times have TLue taken those same kinds of shot. Josh was wrong for showing up the coach, I still he’s a good kid. No way you consider trading the number shot blocker in the league. He’s already admitted he was wrong. That’s more than you can say for Woodson, he’s never wrong is always the players that are at fault. AJ can really help this team play up to it’s potential. He’s the kind of guy that can keep these young guys in check. JJ is more like a Dumars he’s not that in your face kind of guy.

Phoenix never wanted to trade JJ. They were hoping to resign him. JJ choose to come to the Hawks, he could have played another season with Phoenix and sign with any team. People lest I remind you, at the time no FA in their right mind would sign with the Hawks. We just reach the point where players Billip would even mention our name. Oden can make us a house hold name over night. I’ll take Oden or Hiebert.

By ray

April 21, 2007 9:34 AM | Link to this

F A Skippy,

Did I not tell you this was not meant as an insult? But you took it that way anyhow. And insulted me in return. Did I not say that if this was true, I’d apologize for laughing?* I apologize.* I really didn’t know this. The whole comment about desperation (and I am very much a desperate Hawks fan myself) is that it seems that we have no luck. If there is such a thing. Seems to me like we have absolutely no luck in getting a good big man. And what made me laugh (rather ruefully) is that after all the noise I’ve heard about Oden, I’ve never heard once about that leg. Not once. So sue me if after hearing all the noise from other fans (and bloggers) about how we just gotta get Oden if possible, I get to chew on the irony of such a statement as you made (fact though it be). I wasn’t laughing at you, I was laughing at the situation. I mean, come on. Can’t you see it now? The Hawks get the top pick, draft Oden, and him and his leg problem never even get out of the gate good. And every expert in the land gets to eat crow. But long after the taste is gone from their mouths, the Hawks will still be paying for it. Which is exactly the kind of stuff that happens here now. Do I really think this is going to happen? No, not really. But the pessimist in me sees stuff like this.

But then, I’ve not been following him like a cult participant either. All people have talked about is his size, athleticism, etc. This guy is being touted as the next great center in the NBA. By some respected people at that. Does this make it so? No. But again, I never heard about the leg.

Seems to me that one of two things is the case here. Either it really isn’t enough of a physical issue to deter Oden from dominating, or it’s an issue that the media has seen fit to cover up. But I wouldn’t know why. I haven’t watched him enough to see how many times he’s fallen. A guy falling all the time might actually mean he’s hustling like crazy and playing with a reckless abandon. Perhaps not so with Oden, but what do I know?

One more thing. It’s foolish to say a guy’s not man enough to do something. Especially when you don’t know the guy at all. If you did know me, you’d know that even a goat has more common sense than to do that.

By David-ATL14

April 21, 2007 9:35 AM | Link to this

Playoff Winners:East-Pistons,Cavs,(Raptors easy)Heat

West:Mavs,Suns,Spurs and (Rockets in an epic 7 gamer)

Second Round: In the East-Pistons over the Heat, Raptors over the Cavs in 5. ABC/ESPN just s**, lose Shaq,Wade and Lebron all in the 2nd round.

West:Spurs easy over the Suns,and Mavs hold on in 7 over Houston.

Conference Finals: West-Spurs over Mavs. East: Raptors over Pistons.

Finals:Spurs over the Raptors.

Don’t be shocked Raptors will roll through the moribund Eastern Conference.

By ray

April 21, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this

Steve T, I really didn’t know about the leg. Thanks for telling me about it. As for Oden falling down, I haven’t watched him in more than a handful of games. What I don’t get is why I’ve never heard it mentioned in media circles. Most everyone is saying the guy is going to smash the opposition.

But, I agree with you in some ways on Oden. I say it’s no guarantee that Oden will dominate in the NBA, not that he can’t. Of course, then people want to jump all over me for saying that about a guy who has yet to play a single NBA game. But no big deal.

I tell you what, though. I don’t think he’s in shape enough or strong enough to take the pounding of a full NBA season without incurring some injuries. Without some good help from a trainer, it could actually be an injury-plagued first year. You can tell that from him coming out of college games huffing and puffing. And he doesn’t even play the whole game most of the time. I do wonder a bit about his motor. Especially when you compare him to a smaller post player like Tyler Hansbrough. That guy seems to have a full tank of gas the entire time.

But with all that, Oden can still be everything “they” say he can be. It just remains to be seen what exactly he’ll do. When he works out for some teams and goes gets checked out by some NBA-used docs, we’ll know more I suppose. I know he looks good on defense and has some quick/slick post moves that need a little polish. And you can’t lose sight of the fact that OSU was the Conley and Lewis show, not the Oden show. Still don’t know why. Oh, Oden will make a heck of a splash. I want to see just how big, though. I’d still take him. But I’d take Hibbert too. Or Chris Richard. Or Al Horford. And if going with a less-than-6’10” pf, definitely give me Tyler Hansbrough or Horford. Hansbrough can score, rebound, and Hustle. Gotta love that.

By ray

April 21, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this

Just went to NBAdraft.net and read the stuff on Oden. Still nothing on that leg. Wonder why. Maybe it’s because he is crushing opponents at will when he actually tries to. Without trying hard, he’s a consistent double-double guy. Still, at the pro level it’s a different story.

By ray

April 21, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this

What I can’t get past is how he is able to do what he does having never needed to develop his skills at the high school level and not having much run for him at OSU. They didn’t use him as they could have all year long, and he STILL put a huge hurtin’ on teams. Wow.

By St. Bernard

April 21, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this

Reading about the international guys brought to mind to players specifically that Knight picked. Chris Anderson and Cenk Aykol (or something like that) have never even practiced with the team. Is there no accountability for wasting picks? Remember when we picked Cenk and we could have picked Randolph Morris. Whatever you think of Morris, he’s better than a ghost and apparently good enough for NY to throw 2 mil or so a year at him this year.

By St. Bernard

April 21, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this

I’d also like to see us make a run at Mo Williams or Mike Bibby. Especially if we fall into #3 or we have #11 and there’s no one we want. Those guys will be able to produce now. As much as I like Conley, I don’t think he will come in and contribute immediately.

By ray

April 21, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this

Good point, St. Bernard. I’ve mentioned Cenk a few times myself here lately. Perhaps we could go after the .45 totin’ Sebastian Telfair. Lol….that would definitely give the “NBA players are all thugs” crowd something to screech about.

By ray

April 21, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this

Yes, yes. I know that the gun was found in his vehicle and he says he doesn’t know who it belongs to. So technically until proven he’s not totin’ it. But you get the premise of the “joke.”

By The Flash

April 21, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this

Doc, our differing position on this issue makes me feel young, when as a teenager used to argue whether my 55 Dodgers were better than the 1961 Yanks (they were by the way). Ours will go down as one of the great sports debates of all time (Yeah right).

I don’t think LB lost flexibility. And, this is just a guess, but I think the owner and management pulled the rug out, changing their minds about dumping Starburry after Larry had called him out, just as he had with A.I., only in NY, management blinked.

Once that happened, expecting guys to listen to him was pointless. Nevertheless, I am sure that players learned something of benefit about the game from him, as probably did Zeke, who I have to admit did wayyy better than I expected.

You know how little regard I have for Stern, well what little I did went out the window when his guy took down that Denver player and Zeke came out and just pointed out that the other team should not have had their first line on the floor. Good for Sheldon for not playing the stooge and eschewing such tactics. It that is what a team needs to do to win, in my book it is better to lose and win tomorrow.

By doc

April 21, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this

flash agree on the dodgers, campy was my hero growing up. he got me to the point i wanted to try on the tools of ignorance.

what do you think woody is missing if anything after the tutelage from lb?

By Matt

April 21, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this

Cenk Akyol was never supposed to be someone who would be on our roster for at least 5-6 years - a la Tony Kukoc for Chicago way back in the day. Keep in mind that the boy had just turned eighteen when we drafted him, which is an age at which no European players have been ready to come and make an impact in the NBA. With the next-to-last pick in the draft, you’re pretty much certain to not get anybody whose gonna be a player right away. Going after someone who was lighting up the Euro junior leagues is not a bad move at all with that pick. And to those who think he’s not still developing, here’s a relatively recent (9/’06) DraftExpress article on him:

“Coupling with Ilyasova, they formed the most dangerous and spectacular duo in the tournament. Actually, they were the only drafted guys taking part in the championship. Free of the huge offensive responsibilities that he assumed (and defensive attention that he suffered) in the European Junior Championship last summer in Belgrade, Akyol materialized his nice shooting stroke with much better percentages, showcasing his range and ability to fire off the dribble, even in some complicated situations. Earning a place on the All-Tournament Team, he was a pleasure to watch as always, displaying his very fundamentally sound game, working off the dribble, passing the ball, taking decisions, and showing a lot of character. He is a winner, and cried like a baby after losing the gold in the final, actually the fourth consecutive summer that it happens to him.”

And from the Euro Under-18 championships in ‘05: “He was the true MVP of the championship for us. Nobody here featured such a magnificent combination of skills, decision making, character and leadership. Akyol is an extremely fundamentally sound player that knows the game as well as anybody, a finesse player with highly polished skills. He’s a shooting guard with the soul of a playmaker, a stylish big combo guard who is a pleasure to watch. “

Not sayin’ he’ll make it as a player, but I actually thought rolling the dice on a European guy that might be a star in the Euro leagues come 2008 or 2009 was actually a pretty smart thing to do at the end of the draft.

By Mike

April 21, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this

They talk about the leg during the NCAA tournament. It’s really no big secret. The reason you don’t hear the NBA talking about it is because it’s a non-issue. The guy can flat out play. All the hoopla and fuss surrounding Oden has to do with his fundamental at the center position. This guy patrols the paint like a night watchman. He’s contesting every shot, fighting for rebounds, and hustling back on defense. Then he’s got offensive repertoire to back all up. He does all his business in the paint. You don’t see’em trying shoot 3’s, or trying to be a SG, PG, or PF. He’s the real deal baby. There has not been a complete Big with this talent since PEwing. But he’s more polished than Patrick was when he was a freshmen in college, Patrick said that himself.

The thing that makes him special is that nasty streak in him, that’s what separate Durant and Odom from the rest of the guys. They’ve got the intangible you just can’t teach. Does that mean he want struggle adjusting to the rigors of the NBA, of course not. But he’s got the talent to contribute immediately. He easily the number one pick in the draft, then Durant unless you’re Boston. Everyone knows Boston wants Durant. Thanks fine with me. I think we gotta fill that 5 spot if we get a top three.

By The Flash

April 21, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this

Just guessing here doc, but here goes. Larry is, has always been, an offensive genuis. You don’t get to play the game at his size at the levels he reached if it is otherwise.

Woodson isn’t.

I pretty much could stop there. Larry, even as a college/player counsel, so my boys tell me, had a wonderful ability to facilitate learning, which is different than teaching. You don’t teach sports, though many, many try and get paid big bucks for it. You help people improve their concepts, and create opportunities for them to learn. Larry, apparently does that extremely well.

So, while Woodson might have learned Larry’s focus on defense, and even some of how Larry approached the game offensively, I do not believe that he (1) has Larry’s ability to see it on the spot, come up with a workable solution, and communicate what he sees and what the solution is to the players involved in a way that is meaningful. Few people have that ability, very few.

So, to my mind, what probably makes Larry extraordinary is his uncanny understanding of the game in a larger strategy, but more importantly on a moment to moment basis, his ability to build player’s ability to learn and adapt, which necessarily means that the words he uses with them are translatable by them into images and action. Then, of course, he earns the guys trust because they KNOW that he will make them as individuals better, and the game that they play more fun.

That sort of thing is transferrable, but not to everyone. That is why, some Pete Carrill deciples, JTIII, can become extraordinary in their own rights, while others are simply employers of the Princeton.

By Matt

April 21, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this

Since PEwing? What about David Robinson? Shaq? Duncan?

I won’t take anything away from Ewing - he’s a true Hall of Famer. But my view is that all of those guys could (and Duncan can) do things Ewing couldn’t, and Shaq’s the only one Ewing had a more ‘complete game’ than, since Ewing had a decent midrange jumper.

I’d say Oden is more similar to David Robinson than Ewing in his game.

By roan st

April 21, 2007 4:12 PM | Link to this

Tim duncan is only an american by technicality if you want to be realistic. He grew up in the virgin islands which is considered american territory but he was exposed to an entirely different culture than true american born players. In fact Duncan was an elite swimmer as a teenager and only began playing basketball because a storm had destroyed the facilities in his home town. It’s almost lying to put tim duncan in the same categorie as other american players. The virgin islands ain’t the streets of New York even if we do claim the region.

By roan st

April 21, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this

oops! Sorry about the post above that was supposed to be for the terrence moore article on international players.

By The Flash

April 21, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this

Oden has a lot of Bill Russell in his game. Not just defensively. His footwork on offense, and his use of the hook shot, (in Russell’s day, they did it correctly, off of one foot, not this jump hook thing, but the kid is young, he can learn).

This to me is a rare complement. Russell was an extrordinary player and champion, the best there ever was, much underrated on the offensive end because they never needed more than the 16 he gave them (well, when they rarely did, he gave them that too).

Oden even seems to have Russell’s temperment. What he clearly lacks is Russell’s stature, his ability to carry himself with quiet confidence. Russell did not need to emote, would have thought it unseemly. Then there is the matter of Russell’s unique way of looking at things, and the intelligence behind the look.

Oden needs to shed the rim hanging, and continue to develop his intellect. He should watch a lot of old film on the Great Master (I suspect he already has).

If he stops the show off stuff that is all too common in today’s sports, and he continues to grow his mind, you youngens might just get a glimpse what it was like to watch the greatest player the game has ever known.

By LL Cool Scott

April 21, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this

Whoever brought up this “short leg” conspiracy

PLEASE keep writing about Oden’s “short leg.” At least 2 of these posts have made my stomach hurt from laughing. Only from Hawks fans, I swear to god…

By Anakin Joe

April 21, 2007 5:27 PM | Link to this

I read this morning that Oden may be addicted to Geritol. That and the leg thing, we’d better draft McRoberts with that #1 pick.

By St. Bernard

April 21, 2007 6:59 PM | Link to this

Did someone really say they would rather have Cenk the Dink who will never play in America with our pick than Randolph Morris who is actually playing in the NBA now and is at least a “decent big man”? Unbelievable! Your last name has to be Knight!

By Steve T

April 21, 2007 7:09 PM | Link to this

I am posting some stuff about Marvin because most Hawks fans forget a lot. You will find out why the hawks took him with the 2nd pick.

Team-first guy Marvin Williams may go first in draft

Roy Williams sat in his office and placed the freshman’s contribution in perspective.

“His willingness to do anything to win may be the single biggest factor in our winning, other than the talent,” he said.

Melvin Scott, who had been a starter as a junior, came off the bench as a senior. “Couldn’t say a word,” the coach said.

Rashad McCants, the leading scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, took 77 fewer shots and averaged 16 points, four fewer than the previous season. “Couldn’t say a word,” Roy Williams repeated.

“Any problems that anybody had, they couldn’t say a word because here was maybe” — the coach paused for emphasis — “our most gifted player, who was sitting on the bench at the start of every game and was never anything but 100% positive.

Williams averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in 22.2 minutes a game in his one season. When recalculated as averages over 40 minutes of play, Williams’ freshman year ranks among the best in North Carolina history.

His 20.35 points per 40 minutes of play is ahead of the 40-minute freshman production of Antawn Jamison, Rasheed Wallace, James Worthy, Jordan and Vince Carter.

Williams’ 11.80 rebounds per 40 minutes is second to Wallace’s 12.68 in the 1993-94 season.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/draft/2005-06-28-marvin-williams_x.htm

By Clyde Jr.

April 21, 2007 9:12 PM | Link to this

Thank you Sekou for finally calling folks out on your report card. You were right on with every grade except one. I don’t see how Lorenzen didn’t get a F this year. He brought nothing to the table this year.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By doc

April 21, 2007 10:42 PM | Link to this

thanks flash, value your opinion.

By Braves Fan 79

April 21, 2007 11:56 PM | Link to this

So Sekou: who picked Lebron over Duncan and Mcgrady for the all NBA 1st team…after watching tonights Rockets game…whos more clutch? whos a better player?? Mcgrady baby!! Uve got to be joking me right…u cover the nba for a living….but u really thought lebron was better??? how?? what has he EVER done in his career?? Rockets all the way baby!

By ray

April 22, 2007 2:06 AM | Link to this

Flash,

That was a rather informative post on Larry Brown and his tutelage of Woodson. All I remember hearing about Woody was how he was Larry’s top assistant. That’s good praise, but never translated into: will be a good head coach. All the same, I think he may have done better with an older, more seasoned team. Perhaps he will improve this year if he retains his job. Looks like he will for the time being. Again, good post. Gave me some new perspective.

Mike,

Yeah, I get it now. I was only able to watch parts of the tournament and couldn’t watch all of OSU’s games for one thing. But like you said, it must be a non-issue ‘cause the guy was destroying people AT WILL.

And, it looks like I wasn’t the only one who had a laugh about the leg issue. However, I’ve moved on. I notice ol’ SKippy hasn’t returned yet.

By ray

April 22, 2007 2:19 AM | Link to this

Steve, it’s not that people don’t know why Marvin was taken 2nd. Had Milwaukee not made it fairly clear that they were gonna get Bogut, he could have been the first pick in the draft. He was considered as the guy with the most upside. His first two years have shown that he can play in the NBA. He has shown flashes that he can be darn good.

I don’t think anybody’s mad at Marvin. But somewhere along the way we could have used a good pg more than we could a small forward. We have all the options we could need at the position. And at the time, we had Chills, Smoove, and Donta Smith. Drafting Marvin was about getting the guy with the most potential since the highest rated center was gone. Then again, Knight may have never intended to get Bogut if he was available. What has some people bothered is Marvin was drafted #2, but hasn’t shown us that we only need someone to back him up. Smoove has shown this, including a willingness to play pf. He’s playing both sf and pf, depending on what the situation is. Marvin has technically not played better than Chills, who only starts when the starting sg or sf is out. Marvin’s breakout didn’t happen when we thought it would due to a variety of reasons. Injury being one of them. Lack of team chemistry being another. And you could go on from there.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy plenty. But you know how it goes. It’s all hindsight. If Marvin breaks out next season and scores 20 a game, then everybody will be saying “see? now you see why he was drafted #2!”. And if he doesn’t, people will continue to question the draft pick. And bemoan the fact that we still could have had a pg or center.

By ray

April 22, 2007 2:26 AM | Link to this

Really, the one I complain about the most is the Shelden pick. No matter how many times we beat the devil out of that long dead horse, it still bothers me. Even Sekou has said on his end of season report that Shelden has not turned out to be the guy we were supposed to be getting. Yeah, he can get some boards and score a few buckets. But what I don’t get is how bad he is defensively. He just seems to be out of position so much. I can tell ya this much: if Solomon works really hard this summer and Shelden can only get marginally better, I’d expect to see Shelden move to the darker/shadowy end of the bench….next to Batista. Solomon with some fundamental work, some added muscule? Wouldn’t THAT be nice!

By mykhalc

April 22, 2007 3:12 AM | Link to this

SEKOU, pretty accurate report card IMHO. might differ with you on one or two things. but for the most part i agree with ya. the most interestin’ thing to me was in your quote of WOODSON and his choice of words. WOODSON just DOES NOT get it!!! i really hope this team has a more experienced HC next year!!! but there is sooooooooooooo much up in the air with this franchise. so i wonder if the judge renders his decision before the draft????!!??? hawksville…never a dull moment…even in the midst of losin’!!!

By mykhalc

April 22, 2007 3:34 AM | Link to this

FLASH, i hate to go there with you but if do not know that JJ would be the startin’ 2 for PHO then you REALLY have been blinded by your own, i mean, belkin’s take on things. but again, we know who you REALLY are!!! wink wink LOL

By doc

April 22, 2007 8:14 AM | Link to this

comments on marvin’s offense on target. his breakout should be next year if on schedule that most rose on coming from college or out of high school. had thought we might see him go for about 15 or 16 a game this year so he fell short of my expectations as he got plenty of minutes to do it in.

my major concern with marvin is i see him as a major defensive liability and not one to help much on the boards yet. he has a long body and enough muscle that can be added to but i havent seen that spark of athleticism on that side of the court that we see in josh or chills even. he just looks cumbersome on defense most of the time and guys seem to score at will on him. he is going to have to figure that side of the ball out better if he doesnt want to become a journeyman to fill for 20 minutes a game against the other guys seconds. he will still get his points just not with quality minutes on both ends of the court.

By ray

April 22, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this

Agreed, DOC.

By chris whiffen

April 22, 2007 8:00 PM | Link to this

dude - in your 4.22 ajc column you give an incomplete grade to the hawks gm billy knight. i would like to know if someone in the front office is paying you or if you are just dumb. this maniac is singlehandedly ruining nba basketball in atlanta. he has acted with arrogant impunity for too long - i’m f’ing sick of it. don’t coddle this bunch of losers

By Matt

April 22, 2007 9:11 PM | Link to this

Chris,

The pinnacle of arrogance is assuming that no person could possibly disagree with you unless they’re either stupid or paid for.

Sound like anyone you know?

By ray

April 22, 2007 11:26 PM | Link to this

Heh! Wonder if he even got that one, Matt. I suppose it’s time for another blog topic, eh? Heh…

By A Thinking Fan

April 23, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

Flash You nailed Larry “B.”!

By honest_abe

April 23, 2007 9:14 AM | Link to this

doc: that cumbersome effort on defense (marv) is better described as he waddles. looks like a duck out there. hope he proves me wrong.

anbody else notice how the warriors with an imbalanced roster managed to beat the “best” team in the nba? granted it was one game and of course they have arguably one of the games best pg’s in baron davis, when healthy. but i just think there’s that much of a difference in a teams ability to win when a coach actually has a plan and aggressively uses his personnel in the best way. the warriors run and play frenetic defense. thats their m.o. now the warriors even with their imbalanced roster is better constructed than our hawks but you wonder how much better this team might have been with a coach who know what he was doing. yak!

By The Flash

April 23, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this

Myman, Myman, you can go there with me. No way they keep JJ for those big bucks, none. Not the right move.

And, if lightening struck and they did, this team here would be different, but I am not sure worse, after this draft. Think about it, assuming that a change in GM and coach had come about, which surely would have happened if Stern had called the contract straight up, which he didn’t, because BK had made his stand and would have had to have left, which would have lead to Woodson’s leaving also.

Then, with the two first rounders, Diaw, a new coach, a new GM, all that money spent on JJ to be spent elsewhere, not mishandling the Harrington fiasco, I’m seeing playoffs next year. Ditto if the JJ deal goes through if they don’t match, which they wouldn’t have. Then, with a top pick this year, and not mishandling the Harrington thing and a new coach, for the reasons above, this team is flying also.

So, it all came down to Stern, er, Colangelo. Me, I’d be happy to play the cards either way. NBL too!